250: Chapter 250 A Thousand Years of Waiting

Judging from his two special traits, this man was not only capable of calculation and keen observation but also excelled at political maneuvering.

No wonder he could climb to the third rank without being exposed.

After Minister Liu Zongfu took out the imperial decree, Feng Yuzhang and the others immediately knelt down.

Lin Xiao and Xiao Qingxuan naturally did not kneel, which made Feng Yuzhang a bit anxious.

"General Lin... receive the decree!"

But Minister Liu Zongfu spoke up, "By His Majesty's oral command, General Lin and his wife do not need to kneel."

Feng Yuzhang and the others were stunned. So that was how it was?

It made sense. Although Lin Xiao's rank wasn't very high, his achievements in repelling the barbarians and pacifying the people were enough to go down in history; receiving the decree standing up was not excessive!

But Lin Xiao knew very well that this "oral command" was likely for Xiao Qingxuan's sake, not his.

What a "loyal" Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, faking an imperial decree—a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations!

However, with Minister Liu Zongfu's abilities, even if the matter came to light later, he would likely have a way to gloss it over.

The content of the decree was simple: Lin Xiao was promoted from the secondary fourth rank to the secondary third rank, General Yunhui, while his noble title remained unchanged.

The soldiers of the Zhenbei Army also received rewards; everyone from the ninth-rank Commandant level and above was promoted by one rank!

However, these were all empty titles; there wasn't a single copper of actual silver!

One must know that the Zhenbei Army's current payroll was all earned by Lin Xiao himself with great effort!

"Congratulations, General Lin. General Yunhui is already the highest rank a border-guarding military officer can achieve."

"To have such achievements at such a young age is rare since the founding of Great Gan!"

Feng Yuzhang congratulated Lin Xiao from the bottom of his heart.

"Hehe, brother-in-law, at this rate of promotion, General Lin will sooner or later become the next Grand General after General Mu!" Hu Wengui said gleefully.

"Sigh... the position of Grand General is something one can only hope for but not seek. In the three hundred years of Great Gan, there have only been four, including General Mu."

Feng Yuzhang shook his head with a smile. "That is a supreme honor that requires not only unparalleled military merit but also supporting the falling dynasty and saving the country in times of peril."

"If General Lin can end this chaotic era and purge the world of rebels, perhaps he will have a chance to become the fifth."

Lin Xiao remained silent. He had heard from Wanying that the Mu Family's suffering was largely due to the status of the "Grand General."

The Grand General was equivalent to the Grand Marshal of the world's military forces.

If Emperor Hong wanted to mobilize local troops, he had to get General Mu Tiexin's consent, which effectively restricted the Emperor's military power to some extent.

During peacetime, the existence of a Grand General could increase the army's cohesion and keep generals everywhere in line.

But once war broke out, any disagreement between the Emperor and the Grand General would be very troublesome.

To implement the Decree to Reduce the Vassal States, local troops had to be mobilized to suppress the rebels; if General Mu Tiexin opposed it, they couldn't even take the first step!

Ridiculously, after the Mu Family tragedy, the troops across the land didn't listen to Emperor Hong either; they all complied outwardly while defying him inwardly, or even rebelled outright.

It's hard to say if Emperor Hong was too full of himself or if he was being fooled by Prime Minister Yang Gengzhong and the others.

"I think it's only a matter of time! If General Lin can eliminate the plague this time, Prince Bai will surely be defeated!"

"Once Prince Bai falls, won't the other vassal kings obediently submit?"

Hu Wengui's eyes sparkled. The stronger Lin Xiao was, the more stable the Northern Trade Alliance would be, and as allies, their Hu Family would naturally benefit immensely!

"You're just a merchant, speak less of such things!"

Feng Yuzhang scolded him, but there was much thought in his eyes, as he felt it made a lot of sense.

He secretly decided to get even closer to Lin Xiao.

"Could it be... that the miracle medicine that cured Lady Hu was brought by General Lin?"

Minister Liu Zongfu, listening nearby, showed a strange expression.

"To tell you the truth, it was thanks to the divine medicine formulated by General Lin that my wife was saved."

Feng Yuzhang said excitedly, "So Lord Liu, you don't need to worry. With General Lin here, you will definitely be fine."

Minister Liu Zongfu looked impressed. "If General Lin can cure the plague, it will be another great achievement!"

Lin Xiao couldn't be bothered with him. "Fine, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. The medicine production cannot be delayed."

"Farewell, General!"

Everyone's attitude was even more humble than before.

Lin Xiao took Qingxuan's hands. "Wife, while I'm away, you'll have to work hard again."

"Husband, saying such things is looking down on me. We are one, and I only hope you return safe and sound!"

Although Xiao Qingxuan didn't know exactly what Lin Xiao was going to do, she could guess it was something an ordinary person couldn't achieve.

Otherwise, there would be no need for him to act alone.

Minister Liu Zongfu frowned slightly as he watched the two part affectionately.

Lin Xiao naturally noticed the hint of worry in Minister Liu Zongfu's eyes.

But he didn't care. As long as Qingxuan only had eyes for him, whatever others thought wouldn't change anything.

Not long after Lin Xiao left, a girl with a pale complexion and an exhausted look ran to the edge of the camp.

"Father! Where is General Lin?"

When Hu Wengui saw his daughter, he felt distressed but didn't dare to approach her.

"He's gone. After receiving the imperial decree, General Lin went to attend to important matters."

Hu Xinyi looked disappointed. Ever since she heard Lin Xiao's poem in Baishui City, she had been fantasizing about meeting him.

When they welcomed Zhao Yunting before, Lin Xiao had gone to Tai Prefecture.

Now that Lin Xiao had come to Hanyang, she had missed him again because she was busy taking care of her aunt.

Hu Xinyi shed a silent tear. Could it be that she was truly destined never to meet that general in this life...

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao rode out of the city and headed straight for Sha Prefecture!

He needed a large amount of Cephalosporin, and there were two ways to get it: farming cultivation or farming prestige.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, cultivation was definitely more worthwhile.

However, without a large-scale war, he couldn't farm kills.

Therefore, Lin Xiao could only choose prestige.

Previously, in the Yan Kings Army, after slashing several nobles to death, he had realized one thing—

To get prestige, one simply needed to kill the powerful and influential!

In the past, Lin Xiao certainly wouldn't go around the world looking for powerful people to kill, but the situation was different now.

Killing a few gentry, nobles, and corrupt officials could save a dozen or even dozens of commoners.

This was a good deal!

Moreover, many powerful figures in Prince Bai's camp were already his enemies and would die sooner or later; it was better for them to die now when their value was high!

"This time it's mainly decapitation strikes, quick in and quick out. It's best to strengthen my movement techniques..."

Lin Xiao thought about how to improve his efficiency while riding.

Movement techniques were definitely a key factor, so 50 years of Dragon Soaring Steps was somewhat insufficient.

Lin Xiao didn't want to swap for a Heaven Grade movement technique, so he simply added another 50 years to it.

[Ding! "Dragon Soaring Steps" (Earth Grade) cultivation has increased to 100 years!]

Along with it, the duration of "Jinghong" increased and its cooldown decreased.

But immediately after, a surprise notification popped up—

[Ding! Obtained Achievement "Waiting a Thousand Years" (Heaven Grade): Cultivating for a thousand years, the Dao heart remains unchanged! Prestige +1,000]